DESIGN AND RESEARCH: URBAN, TRANSITION AND ERGONOMIC/BEHAVIORAL

The City Square/Power Strip project evolved from an initial study in the Fall 2012 urban design studio at the Downtown Design Center with Gensler. Gensler brought a challenge to the students to envision a new 'Town Square' as part of an initiative by their firm. An 'Art Place' grant submission for an idea for 'energy arts' along a new art trail connecting the City Hall to the 18B arts district was the second part of the study. Though not awarded, we present the project on this page as a vision to incite a discussion about public space in Las Vegas.

A great city needs a thriving downtown built upon civic institutions including a square, city hall, museums and other civic buildings. Most mid-size cities of similar size have an active core with these resources; and all aspirational cities compared to Las Vegas have a core with a diverse set of civic anchors. This proposal is a vision for Downtown Las Vegas to connect the 18B, arts district by way of its Art Trail in the Centennial Plan. This is an urban design vision incorporating arts planning, park planning, form-based code, and sustainability. The plan includes a corridor recommendation for the art trail and a new civic square with a park that generates energy, provides shade and uses very little water.

City figure-grounds, aspirational and comparative cities including Raleigh, Denver, Boston, Tuscon, Nashville, San Diego, Albuquerque. Las Vegas in the center. Note the relative lack of park and cultural spaces, especially in close proximity to City Hall.

Figure-grounds of Las Vegas as it is today, and with the City Square and Power Strip. Notice the link from the 18B to the City Hall and the new connection to the Smith Center and Discovery Museum.

A view looking south down the new Art Trail/Power Strip. A form-based code has been used to promote buildings along the Power Strip creating spaces for art centered upon the theme of energy.

The Art Trail/Power Strip ends at a new civic square in front of City Hall. The area shown on the east side of the square is sized for festivals and events. On the right is a new museum - this building can be an anchor for the Art Trail/Power Strip.

The new City Square/Civic Space is a power generator. Low, vertical axis wind turbines and solar trees generate energy to support all of the power needs for the new buildings facing the square. To the west are new office and mixed-use buildings. To the south is a mixed-use building. All buildings will have solar power on their roofs.

Energy generation devices in the park, both wind and solar create energy to be used by locals in the park, and in the buildings adjacent to the City Square.

As it is difficult to comfortably occupy outdoor space in Las Vegas in the summer, we use two devices to make the space habitable. First, cool towers can reduce the air temperature by 15 - 20 degrees. Second, the solar trees not only provide shade, but also give the City Square cool colors/pastels to perceptually reduce the sense of heat.

A section through the park shows areas that will be comfortable year-round in the New City Square.

A section of the park showing calculations for expected energy generation. Note that the park has minimal landscaping, thus a small water footprint.

A section showing uses; mixed use is on the west side of the City Square, and the Museum on the East (right side of drawing). The museum overhangs a plaza on its south side, creating an area for performances.

In keeping with the theme of energy arts, moveable and store-able planters grow food for local use and farmer's markets. Shade structures assist plants to grow in this desert context.

The park has a unique lighting design in the evening. The light in the park is of low brightness and contrast. The effect is that of a strange forest to give a sense of vegetation. This view is to the south end of the City Square site, note the new mixed-use building. (Phil Zawarus, render manager)

Presentation Board for a proposed Las Vegas Museum of Modern Art to anchor the 'Art Trail' from the 18B to the City Hall. Noted for citation award by the AIA Las Vegas. Esther Garcia, project manager/lead.